The Illustrious Client by Sandra de Helen

Marilyn, thank you so much for hosting me today. I'd like to talk a bit about what inspired my latest book.

 I'm currently flogging: The Illustrious Client.



My first mystery novel launched a series about a private detective modeled on Sherlock Holmes.
Shirley Combs became interested in A. Conan Doyle's books when she was just a kid because her name (said fast) sounds like his protagonist. That led to her passion for solving whatever seemed mysterious in her life. She became ultra-observant, and she found she could actually deduce solutionsfor life's little mysteries around home. (Who ate the last piece of that pie? Where do socks go when they go missing? How did that burn hole get there?)

Shirley got serious about becoming a private investigator after she met Dr. Mary Watson, a
naturopath, at a self-help forum. They live in Portland, Oregon where the weather often matches that of Sherlock's stomping grounds. But they also live in present day. Their first documented case is The Hounding, and deals with a suspicious death of a descendant of the original Baskervilles.

The Illustrious Client was inspired by The Adventure of the Illustrious Client by Doyle. A friend hires Shirley and Mary to try to pry a young woman from the grasp of a rich player. That player is an older woman raised as a man in Afghanistan. The young woman is an international pop star named Oceane Charles. This tale takes Shirley and Mary to France and back, and has them inspecting every inch of a super yacht. Before long a murder happens, and they must find the true killer after Oceane is accused of the death.

All stories with Shirley and Mary will be inspired by the adventures and tales of Sherlock Holmes, but will take place in modern day. They are written in the style of the Holmes stories, and often use Sherlock's methods. Many of my readers are Holmes fans, as I am. I hope your readers will consider taking a peek. Amazon has the "Look Inside" feature.

Both books are available in paperback and eBook at bookstores and online. The Hounding is also
available as an audio book at Audible.com, Amazon, and iTunes.

Book Two of the Shirley Combs and Dr. Mary Watson series, THE ILLUSTRIOUS CLIENT, shows us the private investigator and her sidekick sharing an office, and introduces their receptionist, Lix. They are hired to influence a young international pop star, Oceane Charles, to pry her away from her older, richer, player of a girlfriend. 

The cast is made up of people with various ethnicities and backgrounds, and of course the job soon includes solving a murder mystery.

Along the way, Mary discovers her latent lesbianism. 

Set in Portland, Oregon on a super yacht, in a hospital VIP room, at Rose Festival, and other fun places.

Sandra de Helen’s books as well as short stories are available at bookstores, libraries, and online. Her poetry and plays are published in several journals. Samples of her works are on her website SandradeHelen.com. 



Even though she says she isn't a "joiner," de Helen is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Oregon Writers Colony, the Golden Crown Literary Society, and International Centre for Women Playwrights. Like her at http://FaceBook.com/drmarywatson , follow her on Twitter @dehelen, and read her blog at http://RedCrested.com/. She lives with her cat Stanton in Portland, Oregon where they both type.

Other Links:

Buy links:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Marilyn, thanks for hosting Sandra today. It's exciting to see a new twist on beloved classic characters. Doing something like this is a bold move... and to make the characters more diverse, while still paying homage to the original is steely craftsmanship. Very well done! Looking forward to more!
Anonymous said…
Marilyn, thanks for hosting Sandra today. It's exciting to see a new twist on beloved classic characters. Doing something like this is a bold move... and to make the characters more diverse, while still paying homage to the original is steely craftsmanship. Very well done! Looking forward to more!

Popular posts from this blog

Need to Catch Up With My Blog Tour?

Meet Morgen Bailey from the UK

The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries By Heather Haven